


days like this

by Piehead



Category: Check Please! (Webcomic)
Genre: Age Play, Alternate Universe, Caregiver Eric “Bitty” Bittle, Crying, Cuddling, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Light Angst, Little Jack Zimmermann, Little William “Dex” Poindexter, Non-Sexual Age Play, Pacifiers, alternate universe - littles are known
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-08-03
Updated: 2019-08-04
Packaged: 2020-07-29 22:08:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,671
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20089552
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Piehead/pseuds/Piehead
Summary: Jack’s secret comes to light and Bitty takes care of him in the aftermath.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> you ever just
> 
> have to accept that your existence and abilities were a mistake

Eric finds out Jack’s secret completely by accident.

Everyone who’s anyone knows that Eric “Bitty” Bittle is the head of the hockey team’s caregivers. He’s smart, kind, and knows just what to do in a pinch. He’s patient, loyal, and never lets a Little go unhappy, even if he isn’t their caregiver. There was talk amongst a lot of the staff to see about hiring him with the school once he graduated, to keep a one in a million caregiver like Eric Bittle on hand.

Eric Bittle can calm a Little down mid tantrum. Eric Bittle knew lullabies to put even the fussiest Little to sleep. Eric Bittle brought cookies into class to pass around to Littles who weren’t quite ready to be adults for the day just yet, gave them hugs and toys before class started and saw to it that they were comfortable.

Eric Bittle wasn’t Jack Zimmermann’s caregiver.

Jack hated that he was never allowed to be as open or free as Eric. Eric could be himself unabashedly, unapologetically, could take care of everyone around him without breaking a sweat and Jack struggled sometimes just to keep from dropping his head into Bittle’s lap. It was maddening. Infuriating.

He’d already cried once about it, Jack didn’t feel like doing it again, even when he really wanted to.

It was easily ignored when Eric didn’t live in the haus, but now he  _ does _ and Jack has to pretend he isn’t completely losing it sometimes, throwing tantrums mentally when he can’t show it outwardly. All of the things that comfort him are locked away where no one can accidentally stumble on them, and Jack just suffers through the day without anything to ground him.

He sees the way Bittle treats some of the other Littles and it makes Jack  _ jealous. _ When he sees Ransom get stickers for making it through his Chem class, when Jack sees Holster curl up against Bittle’s side after watching 30 Rock. When the quarterback shows up at the Haus doorstep asking Bittle if he saw his game, excited, and Bittle tells him he did and invites him in for a slice of pie.

It leaves Jack feeling absolutely  _ empty _ and he can’t call his parents and talk to them about it because it took too much convincing for them to let him go to college alone. Jack lives his life in a constant state of wanting to be just himself and being unable to show anyone the kind of weakness he has.

“Jack? You alright, hun?”

Bittle’s voice breaks through Jack’s thoughts. They’re alone in the kitchen, Jack supposed to be working on an essay and Bittle making pies.

“Fine,” Jack mumbles, and then he sniffs, and then Jack realizes that things are about to go downhill fast.

Bittle can never turn his caregiver side off, and without a second thought he turns off the range and is at Jack’s side, kneeling. Jack sniffs again, brings his hands up to try to wipe away the tears that are bubbling over, hiccups a bit.

“Oh, honey, what’s wrong? Talk to me,” Bittle says, coos practically. Jack can’t seem to say anything just yet, but Bittle touches his knee in a silent question, his arms raising.

Jack sobs hard as he falls into Bittle’s embrace with the kind of practiced ease that makes Bittle go,  _ “Oh.” _

“Sweetheart, why didn’t you say anything? It’s probably been months since anyone’s held you.” Bittle rubs Jack’s back, makes him feel small somehow. Jack’s sobbing subsides to sniffling here and there. Bittle hums him a song, something light and quick that makes Jack sleepy. He isn’t sure how long they stay in the kitchen like that, but Jack’s eyelids droop heavily.

“Thank you,” Jack mumbles, sighing. Bittle shakes his head.

“You don’t have to thank me, Jack Laurent. You’re always welcome to a little love,” Bittle promises. He stands them up and closes Jack’s laptop. The essay would have to wait.

“Come on. Do you have any stuffed toys, honey?”

Jack looks away, feeling guilty for the answer because he did, just the one, and he missed Puck so much. Bittle—And it feels weird to call him that now, Jack realizes—frowns up at him.

“If you don’t you can borrow Señor Bun. I’ve had him for years and he is the sweetest thing.”

Bittle leads Jack up the stairs and heads to his bedroom. Jack wants to pull away and go to his. He wants to hide, because he feels  _ bad _ for needing comfort when he’s supposed to be the team’s golden boy. Bittle doesn’t let his hand go. He opens his door and pulls Jack inside and Jack sees the true extent that Bittle goes to to keep the team’s Littles happy.

The room is littered with toys and soft patterned clothing. There are pacifiers lying around along with bottles, a few of them still full of what Jack thinks is apple juice. The shelves around his desk are filled in with a number of children’s books. Cars, dolls, and stuffed animals are all over the carpet, and the soft pastel colors from different posters Bittle’s put up keep the room’s atmosphere friendly.

“Have a seat on the bed, honey, do you need a change of clothes?” Bittle asks. Jack looks at the bed and sees a soft duvet and handmade quilt, both equally enticing to lie on. He spies the stuffed bunny Bittle mentioned and immediately his attention is drawn to it.

Eric’s turned around for just a moment, his mind racing to try to figure out what a Little like  _ Jack _ would need. He picks up one of the oversized shirts he’d sewn together ages ago (for Holster, originally, until Holster decided he didn’t want a blue one anymore). It’s covered in hockey sticks and pucks, custom fabric Eric had special ordered.

Eric turns back around, shirt in hand, and has to cover his mouth to keep from cooing too loudly. Jack is curled up on his bed, snuggled down into the blankets, Señor Bun clutched tightly to his chest. Eric wants to find his phone and take a picture, add it to the album he has of all his teammates being adorable. He doesn’t, because he doesn’t know if anyone else knows Jack is a Little and isn’t too keen to be the person to let that secret out.

“Jack, honey, do you wanna change into somethin’ else?” Eric asks again, his voice softer now.

“Mm.” Jack blinks his sleepy blues open again, tired from his crying session now. He sees the shirt Bittle has in his hands and his eyes light up. “Yeah.”

“Come on then, sugar, sit up. We’ll get you changed, do you want anything to drink? I could run downstairs and get some juice,” Bittle offers.

Jack shakes his head and then reaches for Bittle. He hesitates for a second, a war happening in his mind between his desire to never be seen so vulnerable and his need to be taken care of. In the end, his needs win out, though, and Bittle doesn’t help by stepping closer to run a hand through Jack’s hair.

“You’re being very good right now,” Bittle praises. Now Jack thinks he can never leave.

“Can I…?” The rest of Jack’s question hangs in the air, but Bittle interprets it easy. Without even a blink, Jack finds himself being stripped and redressed faster than he can fully comprehend. Bittle debates between pulling Jack’s pants off for him and letting Jack do it, and eventually decides Jack should do it. He turns around briefly to give Jack the privacy he needs.

Jack takes a second to realize why Bittle is turned away from him. He feels a little slow on the uptake when he realizes it’s because he has to take off his own pants. Bittle is considerate enough to stay faced away until Jack tugs at his shirt, and then he whirls back around and takes Jack’s face in hand.

“Are you sleepy? You wanna take a nap, honey?” Bittle asks. Jack nods, but he tugs at Bittle’s shirt again.

“With you…” he mumbles. Bittle smiles and pulls the blankets back on the bed.

“Of course, sugar. You lay down, I’m gonna change into something else too.” Bittle goes towards the closet while Jack gets comfortable between the sheets. He reaches for Señor Bun, pulls the stuffed animal close and hugs it tight.

Bittle returns to the bed after a moment, changed into a pair of soft pajama bottoms and a plain red shirt with Samwell written on the front in white. He climbs into the bed next to Jack and Jack doesn’t really have to ask if he can put his head in Bittle’s lap. Bittle pushes at his shoulder and moves Jack himself, a hand able to easily reach Jack’s back to give it a rub in slow circles.

Jack falls asleep like that, Señor Bun held in one hand and his other balled into Bittle’s shirt.

Eric doesn’t think about what this means for now. He thinks maybe he wasn’t supposed to know this about Jack, but it’s too late at this point. He’s not going to neglect Jack anymore, especially when it’s so obvious that Jack hasn’t been getting the right care for a long time now. Months at least.

Eric resolves to keep Jack happy, even if it’s the last thing he does.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> subscribe to my YouTube channel for more content like this


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Another Little comes looking for Eric.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So there wasn’t supposed to be a chapter two???? This wasn’t supposed to be a real fic??????

It’s been a few weeks since Eric found out that Jack is a Little. They haven’t told the rest of the team yet, because it’s a sensitive topic and wouldn’t be easy to broach, but Eric’s been doing his best to take care of Jack when no one else is looking. Jack’s mood improves drastically with Eric taking care of him now, something that is felt like a ripple effect through the entirety of the team.

The other Littles seem more drawn to him now, too, which is an unexpected (but welcome, in Eric eyes) side effect. They don’t seem to know that Jack is a Little too, but he doesn’t push them away when they get too close. Ransom, for one, has started inviting Jack to study sessions more often, while Holster has been sitting down to watch TV with Jack after a long day. Even Dex was being friendlier, and Dex was the fussiest Little Eric had ever met. (Eric had a few speculations about some of the others on their team refusing Little headspace, but after seeing the way Jack broke down he didn’t want to assume anything about anyone, and all he could do was be there for everyone.)

Jack was currently curled into Eric’s side while Eric worked on editing a video. He’d been a bit more anxious than usual so Eric had found one of the pacifiers Jack favored and let him suck on it to help with his nerves. From there, Jack had clutched Señor Bun close and pushed his face into Eric’s side. He was fast asleep before Eric could say “Nighty night.”

Occasionally, Eric switched windows to a forum he was posting in. It was for Caregivers of all ages and backgrounds, looking for insight into problems they might be having with or about their Littles. Apparently, repression was a lot more common than Eric had initially thought.

The problem wasn’t that Eric didn’t know what to do with Jack now, it was that Jack needed special attention from this point on and Eric didn’t know what to do about the others on the team. Dex could be downright possessive and mean when Eric was giving him attention and anyone else came around. He’d been friendlier in the recent weeks but that didn’t mean he couldn’t turn right around and throw a tantrum the moment Eric’s attention was stolen away.

A knock at the door made Eric look up from his editing. Jack stirred a bit and Eric hummed a few bars of the lullaby he’d learned (in  _ French _ because Eric Bittle is nothing if not dedicated) to keep him sleeping. After practice that morning Jack was in dire need of his nap time.

“Bits?” And speak of the devil.

“Yes, Will, honey?” Eric calls, though he keeps a hand running through Jack’s hair to keep him soothed.

“I don’t wanna bother you but… it’s just…” Dex sounds so small now and Eric feels bad for not being able to take care of him. Jack’s got an arm thrown around Eric’s waist, hugging him close, and Eric just sighs.

“Come in, baby.”

The door knob turns and then Dex is shuffling into the room, looking sheepish, eyes red and puffy. Eric’s already looking over Dex as much as he can, trying to figure out where Dex might be hurt, but he doesn’t see any physical injuries. Dex closes the door back and then hesitates, just like Jack did when he first entered the bedroom.

“I know, honey. Come here.” Eric gently moves Jack’s arm, careful to make sure Jack’s still sleeping, and then stands. Dex pads over slowly, eyeing Jack on the bed, before he looks back at Bitty again.

“I just missed you,” Dex says, his voice small. He squirms a bit where he stands, keeps looking back at Jack. Eric hopes he isn’t planning to throw a tantrum.

“I’m sorry, baby, I know I’ve been hiding away all day, like a lost sock.” Eric gives Dex a smile. “But you found me.”

Dex looks pacified, even manages his own smile, his hands twisting in his shirt. He looks back at Jack again, though, and his smile fades a bit. Eric is thinking of what he’s going to say, trying to figure a little white lie that won’t spiral out of control. He’s not fast enough, though.

“Is Jack like me and Ransom and Holster?” Dex blurts out, unable to stop his curiosity. Eric can’t let a Dex know that the question has caught him unawares, but he supposes he should have seen it coming.

“Sit down for me, Will,” Eric beckons, pulling out his desk chair. Dex sits down obediently, because he’s never had a problem doing what he’s told to do.

“I’m gonna tell you the truth, but you have to promise not to tell anyone else, okay?” Eric starts. Dex nods his head, eyes wide. “It’s a big boy secret and it’s gonna be between you and me.”

Again, Dex nods.

“Jack is… yes, honey, Jack’s like you, and Ransom, and Holster. He’s a Little, and he hasn’t been getting the love and care he needs like y’all have,” Eric explains. Dex sits, patiently listening to Eric explain. “You’ve gotta be patient with him. Okay? He’s working through it and when he’s comfortable he’ll tell everyone.”

Dex’s face was unreadable. Eric was afraid he’d go right into a tantrum, then and there, but then Dex just hugs Eric tight.

“I can keep a secret,” he whispers, though it’s still loud. Eric smiles to himself and gives Dex’s temple a kiss.

“I know you can, honey. Why don’t we let Jack sleep a little longer and we can go downstairs and make cookies?” Eric offers.

Dex nods, enthusiastic. He stands, the chair clattering a bit, and then stops to look at Jack and make sure he isn’t awake. Jack just shifts on the bed, but otherwise stays fast asleep. Dex looks at Eric to make sure he hasn’t done anything wrong.

Eric places a finger to his lips in a mock shushing motion, and then he heads towards the door. Dex follows, making as little noise as possible, and when they’re out of the bedroom, he grabs Eric’s hand.

“Am I like Jack’s big brother now?” Dex asks, when they’re heading into the kitchen. Eric hadn’t seen it like that, but he supposed that’s how it was. Jack did seem a lot younger than Dex, which was saying something, since Dex was the youngest of the bunch.

“I guess so, honey. You’re a big brother now.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> my brain @ me when I finished this and as I take it off anon: aren’t you tired of being nice? don’t you wanna just go ape shitt?


End file.
